[Placental transfer of psychotherapeutics of the thioxanthene type (author's transl)].

The hitherto existing investigations on the placental transfer of psycholeptic drugs mostly do not answer the question whether the active compounds themselves or their metabolites or both get into the fetus. As published informations on this problem partly are contradictory the placental transfer of psycholeptic drugs was investigated with the thioxanthenes flupentixol and chlorprothixen for examples. After oral application to rats on the 15th and 20th days of gestation the intact thioxenthenes themselves as well as their sulfoxides and desalkylated metabolites were detectable in placenta, uterus and fetus. The last mentioned substances and the intact thioxanthenes were determined quantitatively. The concentration (mug/g tissue) in the fetus is lower than in uterus and placenta. The results are discussed.